Description

MOMLOC2 is a constructed variable that indicates whether the person has two mothers who live in the same household and, if so, gives the person number of the second mother (PERNUM). This variable is only non-zero when the parents identified for a child are both women. The method by which probable child-mother links are identified is described in MOM2RULE.

MOMLOC2 makes it easy for researchers to link the characteristics of children and their (probable) mothers.

If the person identified with MOMLOC2 has a spouse or partner identified through SPLOC, the spouse or partner will also be identified as a parent through MOMLOC. MOMRULE will communicate the method through which those relationships are identified.

Comparability

The development of new family interrelationship variables was prompted by the desire to have more comparability between different IPUMS projects and over time. The family interrelationship variables use common logic across ATUS-X, IPUMS CPS, IHIS, and USA (modern years). Each project has different allowed links because of different level of detail in each project, but the logic of assigning parents in ambiguous situations is the same.